Watch
by HecateA
Summary: Which was all Prim could do during the worst Hunger Games of her life.  Oneshot.  Movie!


**Movie day...**

**I was Prim's age when I read the first book and I never really associated with her. She seemed too... young, or naive in Katniss' mind. But maybe that's just a big sister thing, thinking your brother or sister needs to be covered. Either way I knew that Katniss was Prim's hero and best friend. How scary would it be for all that to go in the Games, and all you could do was... watch? Sort-of like a million people all over the world are going to do today with the movie. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Me no own nothing. **

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><p><em>Be brave. Be strong. Be everything Katniss was.<em>

Prim swallowed hard and bit her lip to prevent the shaking. Maybe if she bit her lower lip still, the tears would be just as immobile.

She didn't understand why _she _was crying. Prim was a million miles from the Hunger Games and its slashing swords, flying arrows, and swinging maces thanks to Katniss. She wouldn't get disfigured on live TV, or shot, or hit, or cut up in tiny pieces the size of Lady's cheeses…

_No, _she told herself sternly. _Neither will Katniss. _

Maybe that was how Katniss did it. How every morning she slipped her feet in her hunting boots, zipped up her jacket, and walked out the door threshold time after time. How she kept sneaking in fresh kill and delivering it, or trading it in the Hob day after day. Because she thought; _this is okay. This'll work. We're going to be fine. We're going to come out of this fine and okay. _

Prim had never asked her. Prim had never asked Katniss how she did everything she did, and now maybe, just maybe she never would.

She bit down on her lip harder to stop the shaking.

Katniss could do anything. From picking berries, to shooting a squirrel straight through the eyes, to collecting plants for Mother, to fixing things, to arguing fair trades... What was her secret? There had to be a secret. There just had to. Nobody was born being able to do a million things, to juggle as many things as an octopus, but some people just broke through the 'supposed to' part of life and just did.

So maybe Katniss was the kind of 'just did' person who could win the Hunger Games.

Either way, Katniss was a promise keeper.

She shuffled closer to Gale. He played with her hair to relax her, and it worked like a charm.

"Katniss won't be first dead," Gale said.

"Katniss won't be any dead." Prim said again.

But did she really believe that? Would one of the Career Bulldogs really stop and spare Katniss if she said something like 'I promised my sister I wouldn't die'? No. Of course not.

The world saw Prim as small and delicate, like a beautiful vase that could shatter. Like she had to be wrapped in gauzy protection and soothing promises of 'everything's going to be alright' when everything was on fire. People thought she was innocent, but she wasn't really. She understood every dirty joke in the bad parts of town (so the whole of it), she'd watched as many Hunger Games as anybody else, she'd seen tired looks on everyone in the Seem, and she knew about a million breached laws happening every day. Innocence didn't work in the Seem, and she felt like now, with her sister taken away from her; the world had taken away every ounce of protection.

But gauzy protection and twirls of her hair to say 'everything's going to be alright' it was.

Prim wouldn't have pushed it away right then. She was miserable and afraid. It was a pretty miserable day to match. Even the sky seemed to think so, with its grey clouds inked black, threatening to drip any time.

Mother was with some lady friends including Hazelle, and Gale had taken Prim away to his own siblings and kids their age. The Seem kids formed one flock, each thankful not to be in the arena with this or that wild child from another district, or looking at the arena and wondering how much worst it'd be next year, or the year after that.

"I hope you're right kiddo," Gale said. His hair fell in his face, but he didn't seem to care anymore than usual.

Prim turned back towards the big screen that would soon show big wide fields and miles of forests and daringly high water falls. This was it. No gauzy protection, nothing to cover her heart; it was just knowing that her big sister was out there. Her heart beat faster even if she chided herself for any worry.

_Don't worry about Katniss. _She repeated. Like a chant. Like when the miners were coming up the elevator and everybody repeated in their minds _Dad come out next, Dad come out next, Dad come out next, please Dad… _

No, she said shaking her head. Bad example.

She swallowed again. It was like Dad. Either Katniss made it, or she didn't. No injury. No long-term side effects or crippled body. You made it or you didn't; it was the way of the Seem, and the way of the Hunger Games.

So Prim swallowed hard and painful as the camera circled the glass cases where the Tributes appeared one by one.

Katniss was quite good in the Seem.

But that didn't stop Prim's stomach, empty from nervous refusal to keep down any food, from twisting and turning like a snake picked up by its tail.

The camera zoomed towards Peeta, then Katniss. Prim paled. The look on her sister's face was hard. But a lot of things could be hard. Fear, worry, nerves… Even Katniss was worried, and she was the one there. She looked nervous and scared, Prim could tell because she'd lived with her.

That's when it hit her.

No. Nothing guaranteed safety in the Hunger Games, Prim determined. Not that Katniss was her hero, not that Katniss could do anything, not that surely if Katniss could protect Prim she could protect herself, not that Katniss could make it anywhere; nothing.

So all Prim could do was watch.


End file.
